Our Accidental Forever
Chapter 42: The Ripple Effect (2)

Chapter 42: The Ripple Effect (2)

Joanne POV:

I stared at myself in the mirror, adjusting the collar of my pristine white blouse, making sure not a hair was out of place.

Everything had to be perfect for this. Arec’s grandmother, Mrs. Weston, prided herself on appearances.

The innocent, kind image I had worked so hard to maintain would be my weapon today. She didn’t need to know what lurked beneath this carefully crafted façade.

I was with Klaus last night, when he made that video in his pathetic attempt to drag Ella’s name through the mud, and I knew exactly what I had to do.

This was my chance to play my own part.

I knew Arec’s grandmother would never approved of Ella, and only accepted her because of Arec’s stubbornness and I had every intention of feeding that disapproval until it consumed her entirely.

If I played my cards right, Ella wouldn’t just be out of Arec’s life, she’d be destroyed.

As I slipped into my designer heels, I imagined what Mrs. Weston would say when she saw the video. She’d probably turn bright red, her eyes blazing with fury. It made me smile just thinking about it.

Since Ella had decided to be a thorn in my side by choosing to take away what supposed to be mine, I have decided that, I’m going to pull her out by force.

Satisfied with my appearance, I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. I had a plan, and nothing was going to stand in my way.

---

When I arrived at the Westons’ grand estate, the staff greeted me like I was one of their own. They always had, even when Arec and I were nothing more than a hopeful idea in Mrs. Weston’s mind. I flashed a sweet smile, nodding politely as they opened the door and led me inside.

"Miss Joanne, welcome," the butler said, his voice dripping with the usual formality. "Mrs. Weston is expecting you."

Of course she was. I made sure of that.

I was led into the sitting room, the walls adorned with expensive art and the furniture as impeccable as ever. Mrs. Weston loved to flaunt her wealth, her lineage, and her so-called superior taste. But today, none of that mattered. Today, I was going to tear apart the woman we both despised the most.

Moments later, Mrs. Weston swept into the room, her silk dress gliding across the marble floor. Her expression was one of false warmth, the kind she reserved for people she thought were beneath her but useful.

"Joanne, darling!" she exclaimed, arms open as she approached me. "You look as radiant as ever. How have you been?"

I forced a smile, playing my part perfectly. "I’m well, Mrs. Weston, thank you. And you?"

Her expression darkened, and she waved her hand dismissively as we sat. "Oh, as well as can be expected, given the circumstances. I still can’t believe Arec would throw his future away on that girl." Her voice dripped with contempt as she said "girl," like Ella wasn’t even worth acknowledging.

"I’m so sorry our plan didn’t work out, Joanne. Arec has been such a disappointment lately."

I bit back the urge to roll my eyes at her dramatics. It was always about what ’she’ wanted, wasn’t it? But I kept my face composed, nodding sympathetically.

"He just doesn’t see what’s best for him," she continued, shaking her head in dismay. "But don’t worry, dear. I have a plan to get rid of her. Arec may think he’s in control, but I won’t let that... that ’woman’ tarnish our family’s name. You’ll be in your rightful place soon enough."

She smiled at me, a twisted glint in her eyes, clearly relishing the thought of Ella’s downfall. Meanwhile, I was barely containing my irritation. How many times had I listened to this woman prattle on about her "plans"? It was exhausting.

But I stayed composed. I had to. Today, I was playing for the win.

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice as if I were about to share a great secret. "Mrs. Weston," I began sweetly, "there’s actually something I wanted to show you. It’s...urgent."

Her eyebrows lifted, curiosity sparking in her gaze. "Oh? What is it?"

I reached into my purse, pulling out my phone, and tapped the screen a few times until the video started playing. Klaus’s smug face filled the screen as he began to spew his venom about Ella. I watched as Mrs. Weston’s eyes widened, her hand slowly lifting to her mouth as she took in the damning words.

For a brief moment, I almost pitied Ella. Almost.

"How could he do this?" Mrs. Weston’s voice shook with anger as the video ended. "How could Arec allow this to happen?"

I put on my best worried expression, tilting my head slightly as if the weight of the scandal was pressing down on me. "I just hope this doesn’t affect Arec’s reputation... or the Weston name. The internet is already buzzing about it."

Her face turned beet red. "That wretched girl! I knew she would bring nothing but disgrace to our family! I told Arec she was no good. And now look what’s happened! Our name... our legacy, tarnished by her. As I have feared."

She grabbed her phone, her fingers flying across the screen as she dialed Arec’s number. It rang and rang, and with each unanswered ring, I could see her fury growing. Finally, the call went to voicemail, and she slammed the phone down onto the table.

"To hell with that boy!" she spat. "I know he must be too busy cleaning up this mess to even answer his grandmother’s call! If he had just listened to me from the start, we wouldn’t be in this situation!"

I gave her a sympathetic nod, knowing exactly what to say. "He’s probably overwhelmed with all the fallout from the video, Mrs. Weston. I’m sure he’s doing everything he can to manage the situation."

I let my voice quiver slightly, as if the very thought of Arec’s struggle was enough to bring me to tears. "It’s just...I hate to see Arec’s hard work be overshadowed by this... scandal. He deserves better than this."

She reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly. "You’re right, Joanne. Arec does deserve better. He deserves someone like you. Someone with class, with standards."

She let go of my hand, standing up with an air of finality. "I will not let that girl ruin our family’s name. I will make sure she never marries Arec. In fact, I’ll see to it that she’s out of his life for good. I’ve known from the start she was no good for him."

Her declaration brought a deep sense of satisfaction. Everything was falling into place. All I had to do was keep pushing her in the right direction.

I stood up as well, keeping my expression concerned and meek. "I just hope Arec doesn’t get too caught up in this mess. He has so much potential. It would be a shame if...if this ruined his career or the family’s legacy."

Mrs. Weston’s face hardened. "Oh, it won’t. I’ll see to that personally. And as for Ella... She’s finished. I’ll make sure of it."

I gave her a small, appreciative smile, trying to appear as if I shared her concern while hiding the glee that was bubbling up inside me. "Thank you, Mrs. Weston. I just...I care so much for Arec, and I hate seeing him go through all of this."

She smiled at me, a genuine, almost motherly smile. "You’re a good girl, Joanne. Arec will see that soon enough. We’ll get through this, and you’ll be right where you belong, by his side."

We exchanged a few more words, mostly her ranting about how she knew Ella was a bad influence, how she never trusted that girl, and how she wouldn’t let some scandalous affair take down the Westons. I played my part perfectly, offering soft words of agreement and concern at just the right moments.

By the time I left, Mrs. Weston was fired up, ready to wage war on Ella. And I couldn’t have been happier.

The moment I got into my car and closed the door behind me, I let out a low, satisfied laugh. Everything was going exactly as I had planned. Ella had no idea what was coming for her, and Mrs. Weston was now fully on board with my plan to get rid of her.

I gripped the steering wheel, staring at the mansion in the rearview mirror with a smirk on my face. Soon enough, Ella would be nothing but a memory, a footnote in Arec’s life. And I would be the one standing next to him where I belonged.

With that thought, I drove away, a sense of victory thrumming through my veins.